Showing posts with label Books for 2020. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books for 2020. Show all posts

2.04.2024

Isaac and Izzy's Tree House ~ Review

Isaac and Izzy's Tree House
Written by Angela Henderson
Illustrated by Rachael Koppendrayer

It's now summer, and Isaac has come up with a plan to spend more time with his sugar maple tree - a tree house. There's just a little problem: what Isaac builds is nothing like a tree house, and his maple isn't magically fixing it. And Isaac's "tree house" isn't making the animals who live in it happy. 

The next day, Isaac gets something even better than a tree house - a new friend. 

This is a cute read that does eventually have a little magic thrown in, but the main focus of this picture book is friendship. The illustrations will appeal to young readers for whom this book is written. This is a fairly easy read that kids who are starting to read on their own should be able to handle with just a little assistance. This is a companion book to Isaac's Ice Cream Tree.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Isaac and Izzy's Tree House

With summer warming the world, Isaac decides it’s time for a new adventure with his favorite Sugar Maple. But his plans for a treehouse turn out to be a spectacular…failure. And the animals who call the tree home are in a tizzy over it, too. Isaac doesn’t understand why his tree isn’t making some of its magic…until it delivers the most magical help of all— a new friend!


This whimsical tale of delight, discovery, and unexpected friendships is as sweet as sprinkled donuts and will bring you back for another season’s adventures.


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About the Author

Angela Henderson Smith resides in Dallas, Texas, where she teaches middle school English Language Arts & Reading and is a mother of three. Exploring children’s books for twelve years with her own children during numerous “story times” at the local library and reading hundreds of books to her children, her passion for quality children’s literature led her to write her own work. She’s been able to share her love of literature with over a thousand followers by featuring authors and books. She’s thrilled to introduce her own creative story where magical moments lead to positive perspectives. 


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About the Illustrator

Raised on the small dairy farm in central Minnesota that my great-grandfather established when he emigrated from Sweden, I grew up surrounded by fields and pastures, woods, and swamps—all ripe for exploration and inspiration. Though I have traveled the world since, it is the images of my home and heritage that continue to inspire my artwork most.


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About the Publisher

Founded in 2018, WhiteSpark began with one simple goal: to provide quality Christian books for young readers. After years of hearing authors and readers ask for just this, WhiteSpark’s parent company, WhiteFire Publishing, decided it was time to step out in faith and try to deliver!


When WhiteFire acquired Ashberry Lane in the spring of 2018, it was a true boon for WhiteSpark ~ Ashberry Lane already had a stellar roster of middle-grade books whose authors were eager to move the titles under the WhiteSpark imprint.


Where will we go and grow? We can’t wait to discover that…and to help you foster in your children a love of books and the Lord.


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5.25.2023

Clarissa ~ Review and Author Interview

 

12.06.2022

The Desolate Reign ~ Review

The Desolate Reign
The Narrow Gate #2
By Amory Cannon

Emilia Aurelius has escaped the capital city with Felix, Hannah, Cecelia, Antony, and a contingent of soldiers with loyalty to Felix. But something about their escape seems too easy. 

And she's more than hurt at Ronan's silence when she was sentenced to death; she's angry. And she is faced with making decisions she never expected to have to make. Does she claim the crown of Borealis following her father's murder? Or does she go in search of the Insurgos?

At 17 years old, Emilia Aurelius has seen more than most young women her age, definitely more than a princess. But Emilia is no ordinary princess, having spent most of her life in exile following her mother's death for treason. She can fight better than most of the soldiers she has trained with. But acting like a princess is something she is not prepared for. And taking the reigns of a nation and leading even less.

But as Emilia finds out, even though she is free from the Empire, she is still being manipulated. But now she is manipulated by more than the royal court. But to bring peace, she will give up what she truly wants. But will her sacrifices bring peace between the Insurgos and Borealis, and by extension, the Empire? 

The Desolate Reign is the second book in The Narrow Way series, and if possible, more intense than The Broken Crown. Emelia and Felix are caught in the circumstances of who they are. Felix is as mysterious as can be - his past is unknown. And both are determined to do their duty, but where will it lead them? Emelia feels a pull and a voice seems to be asking her to do something, but how can she know what the right answer is? 

I found this book to be engaging, and it held my interest from the first sentence. This is written for the YA audience, but it should appeal to older readers too. Readers of Jill Williamson (Blood of Kings series), Melanie Dickerson, Melanie Cellier, and Jennifer Nielsen (False King series) should enjoy this book/series.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations, but that I offer my honest opinion, all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Release Date: February 20, 2020
Genre: Clean YA Fiction

Emilia Aurelius should be a queen, but she’d settle for not being a fugitive. Taking refuge in the Borealis court seems to be her only chance to find a haven from Emperor Cyrus, who is playing a dangerous game of power with a set of rules all his own. Unfortunately, her own country is on the brink of civil war, attacked from within and without by the very people she’s sworn to save—the Insurgos.

With the truth of the Insurgos’ God and agenda murkier than ever, Emilia embarks on a treacherous quest for truth and her rightful place as queen. Neither will come without a price. Political pressure may force her to choose between her crown and her heart, while the search for ancient secrets unearths more questions than answers.

A mysterious prisoner may hold the information she seeks if she’s willing to bargain. What is the Narrow Gate? Can she finish what she started and save the Insurgos from extinction… even if they don’t want to be saved?

3.14.2021

The Dress Shop on King Street ~ Review

The Dress Shop on King Street
Heirloom Secrets #1
By Ashley Clark

Harper Dupree's dreams never seem to come to fruition and she is constantly disappointed. But when she joins her dream with Millie it seems that finally, both women will see a long-held dream come true.

Millie Middleton has a secret, a secret that could cost her everything if the truth came out. A secret that made her choose who she would be. And it cost her the family she dearly loved. To deny part of oneself was not something she did lightly, but the world refused to accept her for who she was. 

For more than 50 years Millie has had to deny the truth but as her long-held dream comes closer to reality she has a chance to reveal the truth. But revealing a long-held truth isn't as easy as it seems. 

The Dress Shop on King Street takes the reader on a journey through history with a pivotal moment occurring in the prologue which is set in 1860's Charleston, South Carolina. The story offers a back-and-forth in which Millie's story is presented (starting in 1946) and Harper's which is present day. This back-and-forth slowly unfolds a story that is both beautiful and heartbreaking. And then there is Peter Perkins who could very well hold the key to what both Millie and Harper want. But sometimes what we think we want is so different from what we need and this is a truth that needs to be discovered personally.

I was provided a complimentary copy with no expectations but to provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:
Harper Dupree has pinned all her hopes on a future in fashion design. But when it comes crashing down around her, she returns home to Fairhope, Alabama, and to Millie, the woman who first taught her how to sew. As Harper rethinks her own future, long-hidden secrets about Millie's past are brought to light.

In 1946, Millie Middleton--the daughter of an Italian man and a Black woman--boarded a train and left Charleston to keep half of her heritage hidden. She carried with her two heirloom buttons and the dream of owning a dress store. She never expected to meet a charming train jumper who changed her life forever . . . and led her yet again to a heartbreaking choice about which heritage would define her future.

Now, together, Harper and Millie return to Charleston to find the man who may hold the answers they seek . . . and a chance at the dress shop they've both dreamed of. But it's not until all appears lost that they see the unexpected ways to mend what frayed between the seams.

1.04.2021

Her Lady's Whims and Fancies ~ Review

Her Lady's Whims and Fancies
Lord's for the Sisters of Sussex #3
By Jen Geigle Johnson

Miss Kate Standish has a passion for fashion - a passion that has allowed her to be on the leading edge of what is about to be the new look of the season. She's always been able to give the dresses that she and her sisters were passed down a look to give them a new look. And she is determined to use her passion and skills to ensure that she will never again be hungry. With her eldest sister June soon to be wed, Kate is looking forward to seeing, and perhaps meeting, Lord Dennison at the event. As the most fashion conscience man around she hopes to observe him up close and perhaps become acquainted with him.

Lord Dennison has no time for young women caught up in their own selves, not after having his heart broken and rejected by the woman he hoped to marry. But he hadn't met Kate Standish yet. Unfortunately for him, his broken heart has turned his tongue acerbic and Kate's first acquaintance with the man she has secretly admired is anything but pleasant. 

Can two people so well-suited find their way past a disastrous first meeting? Having received the brunt of Lord Dennison's anger, Kate determines to put him in his place by submitting an anonymous piece to Her Lady's Whims and Fancies focusing on his latest fashionable masterpiece. 

When Kate and Logan finally get the chance to get to know one another they find that they have much in common. But the secret that Kate is keeping could destroy what they could have together. When Kate attempts to fix the situation things go horribly wrong. Can she reveal the truth to her sisters and get their help or will she be too late?

This is the third book in the Lords for the Sisters of Sussex series and it is a fun Regency era read. It is nice to be able to revisit the sisters as their situation continues to improve. This book can be read on its own though the first two books in the series provide backstory that explains certain aspects of this book. Sit back and enjoy this offering from Jen Geigle Johnson with a cup of your favorite tea blend.



About the Book:
She has a secret to hide. 
He has a hurt to cover. 
But they both start having too much fun to notice.

Miss Kate is full of spontaneity and dreams of fashion. Put her in a room with Ackerman's fashion plates, the makings of a new bonnet, and a strong cup of tea, and she would be happy for hours. But she is not your typical Regency miss. No one knows that she is the designer behind London’s famous fashion section, the woman who knows every fashion trend before it happens.

Lord Dennison, the ton’s best most brightly dressed dandy, the prodigy of Beau Brummel himself, is often the subject of Her Lady’s Whims and Fancies, a gossip column in the Morning Star newspaper. He moves in circles with the most fashion-conscious set. But he hides a deep hurt and doesn’t plan to ever ask another girl to marry him…ever again.
 

1.03.2021

The Fruitcake Challenge ~ Review

The Fruitcake Challenge
Christy Lumber Camp #1
By Carrie Fancett Pagels
Narrated by Virginia Gray

Jo Christy has no desire to spend the rest of her days in her family's lumber camp, and she certainly has no intention of marrying a lumberjack. So when Tom Jefferies joins up with the camp, she is less than thrilled with his attentions. 

Tom Jefferies has left behind the life he has known for the lumber camps of Michigan. Working as a lumberjack pays better than his previous job as a teacher. It is hard work, but he needs the pay to help support his mother. He never expected to meet someone like Miss Josephine Christy working at the Christy Family Lumber Camp. 

Jo Christy seems determined to ignore all of Tom's flattery and attempts at courting. But when Tom issues his Fruitcake Challenge, she sees this as the perfect opportunity to put him in his place. But as the fruitcake challenge progresses, she has a chance to get to know Tom better - if only he wasn't a lumberjack.

I experienced this book in the audio format, and it was well presented. The narration by Virginia Gray fits well with the story. I did listen to the book at 1.2 speed (or faster), but I always listen to my audiobooks faster than the default speed - I listen at the pace I read. But even at the regular speed, the pacing is good. 

If you want an enjoyable escape to 1890s Michigan's lumber camps, this is the perfect way to do so. This is a clean read. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Historical Fiction, are fascinated by America's logging past, or have a thing for fruitcake. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:
Title: The Fruitcake Challenge
By: Dr. Carrie Fancett Pagels
Narrated by: Virginia Gray
Series: Christy Lumber Camp, Book 1
Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 11-24-20
Language: English
Publisher: Carrie Fancett Pagels

When new lumberjack Tom Jeffries tells the camp cook, Jo Christy, that he’ll marry her if she can make a fruitcake “as good as the one my mother makes,” she rises to the occasion. After all, he’s the handsomest, smartest, and strongest axman her camp-boss father has ever had in his camp - and the cockiest. And she intends to bring this lumberjack down a notch or three by refusing his proposal. The fruitcake wars are on! All the shanty boys and Jo’s cooking helpers chip in with their recipes, but Jo finds she’ll have to enlist more help - and begins corresponding with Tom’s mother. 

Step back in time to 1890, in beautiful Northern Michigan, near the sapphire straits of Mackinac, when the white pines were “white gold,” and lumber camps were a way of life. Jo is ready to find another life outside of the camps and plans that don’t include any shanty boys. But will a lumberjack keep her in the very place she’s sworn to leave?

12.26.2020

The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus ~ Review

The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus
By Jaime Jo Wright

The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus takes the reader to 1928 and the present day as a mystery surrounding the Bonaventure Circus is slowly revealed. In 1928 we are introduced to Pippa Riley, daughter of the family who owns the circus. But Pippa has a special connection to the circus, a connection that has her venturing into a world that a proper lady would never venture into. When an accident threatens the future of the circus Pippa may be the only one who can help out. But there is a darkness surrounding the Bonaventure Circus and it could very well destroy her.

In the present day, Chandler Faulk has come to Bluff River, Wisconsin, seeking to restore what had been the winter home of the Bonaventure Circus. But the grounds are linked to a murder and rumors of ghostly hauntings. But Chandler is dealing with her own personal demons, demons that include a health issue that demands more attention than she is willing to give especially given her potential restoration project and her young son Peter. But as Chandler digs into the history of Bonaventure she finds herself drawn to the mysteries surrounding the circus, but the ghostly speculation has her more than a little wary. And then there is her landlord and his nephew who seem determined to be part of her temporary life in Bluff River. But the darkness of the past isn't ready to reveal its secrets.

I have read Jaime Jo Wright's books in the past and have to date not been disappointed in them and The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus is no exception. The books all have a mystery that tends to be on the slightly creepy side. Not a good book to try to go to sleep go to sleep with as it most definitely will be one that you will tell yourself just one more chapter - but one more just isn't enough once you get into the book.

I was provided a complimentary copy with no expectations - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Books:

Welcome to Bonaventure Circus, where misfits go to hide.

In 1928, the Bonaventure Circus has become a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby and is no longer content to leave the reason for that rejection unquestioned. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.

Decades later, an old circus train depot's future hangs in the balance--it will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its fate rests on Realtor Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.

12.22.2020

The Amish Baker's Rival ~ Review

The Amish Baker's Rival
By Marie E. Bast

He's more than just
her competition...

Mary Brenneman's life is the bakery she's taken over from her stepmother. When a new shop opens up across the street that threatens the Amish Sweet Delights' Bakery she is determined to meet and defeat her rival.  But Noah Miller's shop has it all and it is sure to take some of the Sweet Delights' customers, customers they can't afford to lose if they hope to stay open. Mary only sees one way to recapture her customers' attention, win the upcoming Kalona Fall Apple Festival baking contest. Not only would it get the bakery more regional attention the prize money could be used for the improvements Mary wants to implement. 

Noah Miller's move to Kalona was more than just opening his new business but to also connect with the family he's never met. What he didn't count on was the competing bakery across the street and the feisty Amish baker who runs it. A baker who is more than a little competitive for Kalona's clientele. As Mary and Noah vie for the bake-off and Kalona they find they are drawn to one another, but Amish and Englisch just won't work. 

The Amish Baker's Rival is a meet-cute read that is perfect for your favorite cozy corner (with a cookie or two) and a long afternoon of reading. At just a little more than 200 pages, this is an easy book in which to escape for a few hours. But be forewarned with all the tasty treats these two are offering you just may want to make an excursion into the kitchen for your own baking experience. And there is a recipe in the back of the book to enjoy. This book most definitely fits the Love Inspired Inspirational Romance brand and it is a clean, gentle read perfect for any age.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

This exciting new Amish romance is from Publishers Weekly bestselling author of The Amish Baker and The Amish Marriage Bargain.

About the Book:

She’ll do anything to protect her bakery… 
no matter the cost to her heart.

Small-town, Amish baker Mary Brenneman is devastated when handsome Englischer Noah Miller opens up a bakery right across from hers. Now she must win a local baking contest just to stay in business. But somewhere along the way, Noah and Mary’s kitchen wars are quickly warming into something more…

Still mourning the death of his parents, Mary helps Noah search for the Amish grandparents he has never met. And when a crisis hits Mary’s bakery, Noah volunteers his assistance.

After Mary’s now ex-fiancé broke their engagement so he could go live in the Englisch world, she vows to stay away from men…especially Englisch men. Even though she likes Noah more each day, she keeps her distance.

With her heart packed with distrust, Noah hopes to soften her resolve and convince Mary of their undeniable love. But trouble brews at the baking contest when Mary thinks Noah has stolen her recipe. After the surprising result of the contest, Noah and Mary must face their feelings and decide what road God has set them upon.

Purchase Links

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